The present invention relates in general to a tube shaping device and, more particularly, to a shaping device adapted to shape the deformed end of a flexible tube, for example, toothpaste tubes, medicine tubes, paint tubes and the like.
In the tube filling industry, there frequently arises the problem of supplying flexible tubes to an automatic filling and sealing machine without their being deformed as a result of their construction from relatively soft materials, i.e., soft metal, plastic, laminated material, etc. The reliability of such machines, including the economics of their operation, is to a large extent determined by the continuous receiving of such flexible tubes having a nondeformed open end of generally circular or rounded shape. If the open end of such tubes are found to be closed, damaged or otherwise deformed at the filling station of the machine, such tubes often cannot be successfully filled. In this regard, such deformed tubes must be removed to prevent the machine from potentially getting jammed which would ultimately result in laborious and time-consuming machine repair along with its associated cost. In addition, the inability to supply such flexible tubes having their open end suitably shaped for the filling operation often results in such machines remaining idle and unproductive while such deformed tubes are being removed from the machine.
There is known one prior art device adapted to shape the ends of flexible tubes that have lost their roundness by being deformed during the supplying of such tubes to and within an automatic filling and sealing machine. Such prior art shaping device is constructed from a cylindrical member having an inwardly tapered opening provided at one end of the device. The tapered opening is sized sufficiently greater than the normal outside diameter of the tube so as to receive the tube end to be shaped. In use of the shaping device in accordance with the prior art, a flexible tube having its end out of round is centrally positioned within the tapered opening and urged upwardly therein. As the out of round tube end engages the surfaces forming the tapered opening, such surfaces are operative to cause the tube end to increasingly assume a rounded shape. The tube end within the tapered opening of the shaping device has thus been rounded to a shape suitable for the subsequent filling operation.
However, such prior art shaping device is not adaptable for shaping the end of flexible tubes which exhibit a variety of frequently occurring deformations. For example, such tube ends in addition to being out of round, are often found to have their ends partially collapsed or dented. In this regard, although the prior art device can provide roundness to an otherwise out of round tube end, such prior art device is not effective for eliminating inward deformations such as dents, depressions, flattened portions and the like.
Accordingly, it can be appreciated that there is an unsolved need for a shaping device which is adapted to shape flexible tube ends which exhibit a variety of deformations of the type noted above, in addition, to being out of round.